Round 2. Game 6.

12 June 2007

Shirov
Aronian Black becomes first to start the central action.

Ruy Lopez 16.exd5 Ixd5!?
Notes by grandmaster 16...Cxd5 is also possible. Black could be worried
Ruslan Scherbakov about 17.d4!?, however after 17...cxd4 18.cxd4
(18.Id3 Cf6) 18...Cxd4 19.Cxd4 exd4 20.Id3 Cf6
1.e4 e5 2.Cf3 Cc6 3.Eb5 a6 4.Ea4 Cf6 5.0–0 Ee7 21.Ch5 Ed6 22.Cxf6+ Ixf6 he holds the position.
6.Ge1 b5 7.Eb3 0–0 8.d3 Yet, the text
move is safer.
Shirov, as usual, avoids complications of the Marshall 17.Ee3 Gac8
Attack. At present time, White fails to show any Interesting is 17...a5!?, but Aronian prefers to
advantage in that variation. In the previous White game, strengthen his position.
Alexei preferred another scheme: 8.h3 Eb7 9.d3 d6 18.Cd2
10.a3 Ca5 11.Ea2 c5 12.Cbd2 Cc6 13.Cf1, then XIIIIIIIIY
Levon neutralized the opponent’s light
squared bishop 9-+r+r+k+0
by 13...Ec8 14.c3 Ee6 with a good game.
8...d6 9.c3 Ca5 10.Ec2 c5 11.Cbd2 Cc6 12.Cf1
9+-+-vlpzp-0
Ge8 9p+n+lsn-zp0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+pzpqzp-+-0
9r+lwqr+k+0 9-zP-+-+-+0
9+-+-vlpzpp0 9zP-zPPvL-sN-0
9p+nzp-sn-+0 9-+LsN-zPPzP0
9+pzp-zp-+-0 9tR-+QtR-mK-0
9-+-+P+-+0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-zPP+N+-0 18...Cb8!
An excellent maneuver – the knight is heading to d7,
9PzPL+-zPPzP0 protecting the only weakness in the Black's camp. After
9tR-vLQtRNmK-0 that White has no objects of attack.
19.Cge4 Cbd7 20.Eb3
xiiiiiiiiy Otherwise White cannot express any activity. On
13.a3 20.If3 Black calmly continues 20...Cxe4 (20...Ic6!?)
Other known continuations do not alter much the 21.dxe4 Ic6.
character of the struggle. 20...Ixd3 21.Exe6 fxe6 22.If3
13...h6 14.b4 White managed to create a couple of weak pawns in the
The plan of playing on the queenside does not seem opponent’s camp, however, one of those pawns is an
promising. Michael Adams, Shirov’s opponent in the extra pawn!
first match, handled this position as follows: 14.Ce3 22...cxb4
Ef8 15.Eb3 Gb8 (15...Ee6!? looks more logical, Black simplifies the position, and White cannot do
Bologan
David, Dijon 1994) 16.h3 Ee6 17.Exe6 Gxe6 anything about it.
(normally Aronian takes with the pawn) 18.Cd5 with a 23.axb4 Cxe4 24.Cxe4 Cf6 25.Cxf6+ Exf6
minimal advantage, but the Black’s position here is very 26.Gxa6 Ixc3 27.Gb1
solid, Adams
van der Sterren, GER
chT 1995). XIIIIIIIIY
14...Ee6 9-+r+r+k+0
A new move. Previously Black retreated with the bishop
– 14...Ef8, intending to meet 15.d4 by 15...cxd4
9+-+-+-zp-0
16.cxd4 Eg4 with a good game, as in Kokkila–Viljava 9R+-+pvl-zp0
(Finland 1991), but Alexei is not in a rush to push the 9+p+-zp-+-0
central pawn.
15.Cg3
9-zP-+-+-+0
In the case of 15.d4 Black has 15...exd4 16.cxd4 cxd4, 9+-wq-vLQ+-0
and now 17.Cxd4?! leads White to difficulties after 9-+-+-zPPzP0
17...Cxd4 18.Ixd4 Cg4 with initiative.
15...d5
9+R+-+-mK-0
As a result of rather cautious handling of the opening, xiiiiiiiiy
Only Black can play for a win after 27...Gc4. Therefore, and Black obtains the g4
and f5
squares (the latter is
Shirov offered a draw, and Aronian accepted and achieved by trading on e4), which increases his chances
proceeded to the World Championship in Mexico. to develop harmoniously and being the attack.
Therefore, Rublevsky wants to proceed to an endgame,
in which Black’s pawn weaknesses can tell.
13.Ig5 Id6!
Black wants to castle and then attack the king by either
Rublevsky
Grischuk Ib4 or (if the situation is right) by sacrificing a rook on
Scotch Game b2. Here 13...dxe4?! is dubious in view of 14.Ge1! Ef5
Notes by grandmaster (now after 14...0–0 the White’s rook is very well placed
Yury Yakovich on e4
15.Gxe4, and 15...Cf5? is bad due to 16.Gxe5!
Ixe5 17.g4 f6 18.Ec4+) 15.Cxe4!? Exb2+ 16.Kd1
1.e4 e5 2.Cf3 Cc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Cxd4 with initiative.
Continuing the Scotch Game discussion. 14.exd5
4...Ec5 5.Cxc6!? If6 6.If3 bxc6 7.Ig3 h5!? Not trying to win a pawn, but intending to secure a route
Despite losing the Game 4, Grischuk again selects the for the bishop (via c4 to b3).
same line. 14...0–0
8.h4 Ch6 9.f3 d5 10.Cc3 14...cxd5?? loses in view of 15.Ge1! f6 16.Ixg7.
XIIIIIIIIY 14...Gxb2? does not work yet: 15.Ge1! Ef5 16.Gxe5+
Ixe5 17.Kxb2.
9r+l+k+-tr0 15.Ec4 cxd5 16.Exd5
9zp-zp-+pzp-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+p+-wq-sn0 9-trl+-trk+0
9+-vlp+-+p0 9zp-zp-+pzp-0
9-+-+P+-zP0 9-+-wq-+-sn0
9+-sN-+PwQ-0 9+-+Lvl-wQp0
9PzPP+-+P+0 9-+-+-+-zP0
9tR-vL-mKL+R0 9+-sN-+P+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9PzPPvL-+P+0
10...Ed4!
Here comes the improvement! In the Game 4,
9+-mKR+-+R0
Alexander played 10...Eb4, but after 11.Ed2 dxe4 xiiiiiiiiy
12.0–0–0 e3 13.Exe3 Exc3 14.bxc3 0–0? 15.Ig5! So far Grischuk handles the game very well. Now he
Rublevsky won convincingly. faces a difficult choice: either to finish the game in a
11.Ed2 Gb8 draw by perpetual, or sacrifice an exchange and obtain
Unlike the Game 4, the rook can attack on the b
file. strong initiative in a position that is difficult to assess.
12.0–0–0 16...Ixd5
XIIIIIIIIY A pity! As chess lover and chess professional I’d very
much to see 16...Gxb2! 17.Kxb2 Ixd5.
9-trl+k+-tr0 The bishop must be attacked, otherwise Black plays
9zp-zp-+pzp-0 18...Ee6 with a devastating attack. Therefore, 18.Ghe1.
9-+p+-wq-sn0 Bad is 18.f4? in view of 18...Ib7+ 19.Kc1 (or 19.Ka1
Ef6) 19...f6 20.Ig3 Ed6. 18.Gde1 leads to similar
9+-+p+-+p0 lines.
9-+-vlP+-zP0 18...Cf5!?
9+-sN-+PwQ-0 18...Ef5 leads to an unclear game: 19.Kc1 Id6
9PzPPvL-+P+0 20.Gxe5 Ixe5 21.Ge1. The Black knight is out of play,
so it may be difficult for Black to use insecure position of
9+-mKR+L+R0 the White king.
xiiiiiiiiy 19.Gxe5!
12...Ee5! 19.g4? loses spectacularly to 19...Ib7+ 20.Kc1 (or
Of course, not 12...dxe4? in view of 13.Eg5, winning. 20.Ka1 Cd4! 21.Gc1 f6 22.Ig6 Ef5! 23.gxf5 Gb8
The bishop’s pirouette makes a strong impression. In wins) 20...f6 21.Ig6 Ed6 22.Cb1 Ixf3! 23.gxf5?
the case of 13.f4?! the bishop returns to d4
13...Ed4, Exf5 24.Ig1 Ea3+ 25.Cxa3 Ixa3+ 26.Kb1 Gb8+
27.Ka1 Ib2#.
19...Ixe5 20.g4
Dubious is 20.Ixh5?! in view of 20...Ee6 21.Ka1 (and
again White has an opportunity to lose spectacularly
after 21.g4? .Gb8+ 22.Ka1 Ce3! 23.Gc1 Id6!
24.Exe3 Ia3) 21...Gd8 with dangerous initiative to
Black.
20...hxg4 21.fxg4 f6 22.If4!?
After 22.Ih5 Cd4 23.Ixe5 fxe5 it is hard for White to
defend against the rook invasion to the second rank.
22...Cxh4 (now 22...Cd4!? can be met by 23.g5 with
an unclear game) 23.g5!?, and White retains drawing
chances.
My conclusion is that the exchange sacrifice could give
Black decent winning chances. Rublevsky would have
to find several accurate defensive moves. However,
Grischuk’s choice is easy to understand – he did not
want to gamble with his chance of playing in Mexico.
17.Cxd5 Exb2+ 18.Kb1 Ec3+ 19.Kc1 Eb2+
20.Kb1 Ec3+
Draw.